Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5
Oh, that’s better. Nice and rested!
What am I going to do today?
Hmm. I got there too late last time to be able to see much, so if I get there early enough now, should get a better spot…
So on out of the hotel, across Trafalgar Square. My way was blocked by street closures due to filming, so I had to find an alternate route. But I got there before too long, with only a few crowds starting to form.
Right up to the fence.
There I stood, as the crowd formed and condensed behind me, closing me up against that fence.
Eventually, Fuzzy Hat Parade began.
How many jobs can you have where there’s this much pageantry at the start and end of your shift?
At last, it ended, and the crowd dispersed, and I could once again breathe. Was that worth the time? Meh. Whatever the case, on to the next thing. I walked north through Green Park, a nice wooded green space after all that crowd squish.
Where to now? I guess I’ll do another repeat from last time. I board the Tube at the Green Park station and ride to Canary Wharf, where I switched to the DLR (remembering to tap my Oyster Card this time!).
Euphemism?
I got out at the stop and walked some of the bustling streets to the big open park. With nice views along the way.
It’s imperial measurement capital! (Note to self: go to Paris and find metric capital.)
Aw, what the hell? This place was definitely free admission back in 2009, but now they want ten pounds? Okay fine. I’ll peruse the exhibits for a bit to get money’s worth and all. Lots of history of telling time, as this is, of course, Time Capital.
Fascinating.
Anyway, time for the main event at this place. The picture on the Prime Meridian. For this place is also Map Capital. Seems they don’t have that swirly globe sculpture on the line anymore that they had when I was here last time. But there’s still the sign and the line marking the spot.
Okay, this took me well out of the way, so on back toward Central London. I need to find food. I got back on the DLR and rode to the end at Bank.
Ah, okay, it is walk left stand right over here, too. I wondered if it was another of those things where it’s the other way around because England.
There was no menu posted outside, so I don’t know if it contains cheezburger.
Where now? I’m right by St Paul’s. Go in? Or, no, I’ll catch it later. I’ll head up the street to one I did do last time, but on the sleep deprived first day so memory is fuzzy.
Found way to the London Wall to visit Cool Stuff Found Buried Under City.
Romans are plotting.
They were not successful.
When your embarrassing culinary flare up is preserved in a museum for the ages.
“And now in the 21st century it sends tweets to its followers.”
Tucked away is this little memory to 7/7.
Behind this fancy thing.
What’s in that room? Wait.. is that… ? Yeah!
It’s the 2012 Olympic cauldron! Remember that? Where during the Parade of Nations, each delegation was carrying this weird bowl-looking thing and placing them at a particular spot, and it turned out they came together at the end of the ceremony to form the cauldron! And here it is!
Fucking Britain.
A bit out of date?
Well, that was fun. A quick visit to the gift shop and back outside.
Here’s some Roman ruins.
Getting a bit late. I should find something for a late lunch or early dinner on the way back south to next destination. Everything around looks like tourist trap restaurants and not sure what I want anyway. Might as well keep going.
Walking along the millennium bridge, lovely view of the London and Tower bridges.
Whoa! Holy shit!!! Except… on closer inspection, the feet are pointed the opposite way as the face.
Of course.
On inside Boiler & Switch for their special late hours this evening to check out the works. Such as…
Looks like monkey man naked but shoed having jumped onto red drum after altercation with walking zombie dogs, while Edgar Allan Poe watches in the distance.
Good question.
Radio tower. Ha.
Not sure if exhibit or Australia has finally attacked.
So hungry. Finally settled for tuna sandwich from chill case in small museum cafe. When I plan these trips, I really need to plan meals and stop assuming I’ll just find something good along the way.
All the while, I was keeping an eye out for a few gems I recall from the 2009 trip, namely the room with the gigantic dining table and chairs and the exhibit where you “confront yourself” which was really just a mirror. Unfortunately, they do not seem to have either anymore, but after seven years, not sure much of anything in here is the same as last time. High exhibit turnover in here, I guess. I did find my way to the elevators to the ten-story observation deck, something that I really can’t remember if I did in 2009. If I did, I didn’t take any pictures. So maybe not. Or, having been the first day of that trip, I might have been too sleep deprived to notice.
But whatever the case, neat nighttime views now.
Getting near closing time on this late-hours day, so I went to the gift shop. I did find a postcard of the table and chairs so I contented myself with that, and a few other neat items to bring home and likely let gather dust somewhere.
Loaded up with souvenirs, I wandered back to my hotel. I passed through Charing Cross station and picked up a Cornish pasty from a stand there to have for late dinner back in my hotel with an orange San Pellegrino, as I planned the next day.